Digest

May 2017

Aero Norway, celebrating 25 years in operation, has been granted UAE GCAA CAR 145 Maintenance Organisation Approval. The engine MRO centre is now multi-release FAA, EASA, TCCA, CAAC and GCAA certified. GCAA certification allows Aero Norway to carry out maintenance of engines for aircraft registered in the UAE in accordance with CAR Part-145. The certification covers the full spectrum of services offered by CFM authorised repair station Aero Norway across all three engine models: CFM56-3, CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B.

AeroVision International has purchased an Embraer E190 aircraft, the first acquisition of this type for the company, representing its entry into parts and LRU support for E-Jet series aircraft. The aircraft was recently removed from active revenue passenger service and was purchased without engines. It will be disassembled for parts, with all major components and subassemblies made available once the reduce-to-parts process is initiated in May.

AFI KLM E&M and GMF AeroAsia have signed a MoU aimed at further reinforcing an already strong MRO partnership. This new agreement comes at a strategic time, as GMF AeroAsia plans to have its public offering later this year.

GMF AeroAsia and AFI KLM E&M signed a first MoU during the 2016 Singapore Airshow. This covered several areas of cooperation: AFI KLM E&M’s global MRO network would provide engine and component support for the Garuda Indonesia Group’s Airbus and Boeing fleet, for example, while also subcontracting maintenance services to GMF for Boeing 747 airframe support, in addition to component and engine support. Under the newly-signed MoU, AFI KLM E&M and GMF AeroAsia will intensify their existing cooperation in the field of engine, component and airframe support.

A dedicated project office has been opened within the GMF facility to allow teams to develop the next steps of their cooperation with milestones and targetsalready established. Further joint training and development will be organised via a new exchange programme between experts from the two companies. AFI KLM E&M and GMF AeroAsia will notably focus on trade synergies and collaborate more closely on systems integration and data exchange, including prognostic technologies.

AFI KLM E&M has signed a strategic component maintenance agreement with Moog. The partnership between the two groups involves the sharing of repair workload, engineering experience, expertise and data. AFI KLM E&M and Moog will also strive to jointly develop repair procedures designed to optimise component reliability and reduce related maintenance costs.

AFI KLM E&M is now offering a wifi cabin modification service enabling airlines to provide a reliable and efficient IFE offering for their passengers at reduced cost. From design and engineering to production and maintenance, AFI KLM E&M acts as the unique integrator of a solution that can be implemented during scheduled maintenance checks at its clients’ facilities or its own. The offer is now available for Airbus A320 and A330 and Boeing 747 fleets.

It has already been chosen by several airlines, including Shaheen and Corsair International for their Airbus A330 fleets, and can be deployed at competitive cost during short TATs, ensuring aircraft availability and business continuity for client airlines.

AFI KLM E&M’s engine test cell unit at Paris-CDG airport successfully carried out a series of GEnx-1B correlation tests. For almost a week, a stable performance engine, provided by KLM, was used in the test cell for the correlation tests. The correlation consists of the comparison of engine performance parameters measured on the same engine (the correlation engine) tested in two individual test facilities, where one facility (the manufacturer’s) is the reference/baseline. The Paris-CDG test cell is now officially able to proceed with the required engine test run after each maintenance shop visit carried out by

the Amsterdam engine shop.

ATR has extended the scope of Global Maintenance Agreements (GMAs) with three airlines. For Avianca Holdings, with 15 ATR 72-600s operated under different brands of Avianca in Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras, the GMA now includes services for the maintenance of the propellers. In addition, two sets of propellers will also be available at the airline’s facilities. Avianca will also benefit from a specific training programme developed by the service provider Aircraft Propeller Service. ATR has also renewed its GMA with the Colombian airline Easyfly for a period of five years, covering their fleet of five ATRs.

The GMA includes lease stock, standard exchange, repairs of LRUs and propeller repairs, along with availability services. In addition to the renewal of the GMA, ATR and Easyfly have also signed an agreement for lease and overhaul services of the landing gears of two of the airline’s ATRs. Finally, Trinidad and Tobago’s national flag carrier Caribbean Airlines, which has been covered by a GMA since 2011, has also signed an agreement with ATR for lease and overhaul services of the landing gears on its current fleet of ATR 72-600s.

Aventure Aviation has awarded scholarships to three aircraft maintenance technicians enrolled in an accredited and recognised aviation educational institution. The three scholarships were administered through the Northrop Rice Foundation with one scholarship reserved for an international student studying in the US on a student visa. This year’s winners are Lyndon A Thomas, an international student studying at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Duluth, GA; Anthony Lamothe, enrolled at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Duluth, GA; and William C Cartrette enrolled at Wayne Community College, in Goldsboro, NC. The scholarships may be applied toward tuition, books or tools.

Aviation Technical Services (ATS) and European airline Volotea have expandedtheir working relationship to unveil a 150-seat A319 cabin layout. ATS has received a joint FAA and EASA certificationfor the A319 configuration. ATS alsomanaged the development and sourcing of key monuments to achieve Volotea’s desired layout.

The two companies began working together on an aircraft integration programme for the introduction of several mid-life A319 aircraft into Volotea’s fleet in September 2015. ATS provided turnkey technical fleet integration services including overall programme management, detailed aircraft records review, engineering for cabin interior changes and re-branding, and EASA certification of the final new configuration.

Avocet Aviation Services of Orlando, FL, has signed a working partnership agreement with SMBC Aviation Capital to overhaul and provide support as necessary for its fleet of leased aircraft.